So last weekend both the Niners and the Raiders managed to win their respective games. On the same weekend! No, I'm actually serious. I only saw a glimpse of the Raiders game but I managed to catch the last half of the Niners game, and boy, let me tell you, it was something.It seems to me that a team can never end a losing streak with a big blowout victory. They have to crawl their way tooth and nail over the other (usually crappy) team to finally put an end to their pathetic ways. And so it was with the Niners on Sunday. I look on the internet to see the score, and at the start of the third quarter it's 24-21 - with the Niners winning! Holy beeswax. So I turn on the TV to catch the drama. The Cardinals get another touchdown to take back the lead at 28-24. Suddenly it's the fourth quarter and there's only two minutes left in the game. The announcer says, "The Niners have not scored in the final two minutes of a half all season long." Not just the final two minutes of the game, but the final two minutes of a half! So it would have seemed that history was not on the Niners' side. But somehow Frank Gore rushes for a first down about three times in a row, and then he rushes for a touchdown with about a minute-and-a-half left, making it 31-28 Niners.
So now all the Niners need to do is keep the Cardinals from getting into field goal range. Not an outrageous task considering their defense is their strong suit. However, the Cardinals keep making first down passes near the sidelines and then falling out of bounds, keeping the clock from running. With six seconds left, the Cardinals find themselves basically at the goal line. They throw to somebody in the end zone, and the receiver pretty much catches it, but a Niners player reaches right under there and tips the ball out of the guy's hands. The play happened so fast, however, that there's still two seconds left on the clock. The Cardinals go for a field goal and the game heads into overtime at 31-31.
Now the announcer says, "Out of eight overtime games this season, the home team has won six times. That's not good news for the Niners." In addition, the Cardinals start overtime with the ball. "If the Niners can just get the ball back, then they've got a chance, but otherwise, it's gonna be tough." The Cardinals make it into field goal range, at about the 27-yard line, on second down. They kick the field goal and it's good, but apparently the refs call a "delay of game" penalty, which I've never heard of before in my life. So not only does the field goal not count, but it's third down with a five yard penalty. Anyway, you say, OK, so a 32-yard field goal instead of a 27-yard field goal, no problem right? The guy misses it. The Cardinals punt on fourth down.
The Niners don't do squat with the ball, but when they punt, they tackle the Cardinals all the way back at their own 3-yard line. This was like the world's greatest punt. On the next play, the Cardinals quarterback takes too much time, gets hit by a Niners player, the ball goes flying loose, another Niners player jumps on it and since he's in the Cardinals' end zone, the Niners score a touchdown and the eight-game losing streak is over.
Never heard of a 'Delay of Game' penalty either, but this is it:
ReplyDeleteDefinition: A penalty called on a team for either letting the play clock expire before snapping the ball, having too many players on the field, or calling a time out after having already used all they were allotted by rule.
Examples: A delay of game infraction results in a five-yard penalty against the offending team.
Looks like baseball has a similar rule:
When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call �Ball.� The 12-second timing starts when the pitcher is in possession of the ball and the batter is in the box, alert to the pitcher. The timing stops when the pitcher releases the ball.
And you thought I didn't care about sports.
Delay of Game is a pretty common penalty. Sometimes the QB doesn't realize the play clock is about to expire. Sometimes crowd noise or some other factor makes communication between players and coaches difficult. Oftentimes the QB will quickly call a timeout if he realizes that they aren't going to get a play off before the clock runs out.
ReplyDeleteWhile many penalties are called on normal behavior that has become too flagrant to ignore, delay of game is just someone screwing up.
Also, I didn't know that baseball has a comparable rule. From watching the games you'd think they didn't. Is it ever enforced?
ReplyDeleteI have never seen the "delay of game" rule implemented in a baseball game, ever. Besides, aren't there some scenarios when the pitcher has the ball for more than 12 seconds? Like when he fakes a throw to first, trying to keep the runner on his toes? Maybe the batter steps out of the batter's box at that point, I'm not sure. Anyway, I'm sure it's a necessary rule to have, just to make sure the games don't go on longer than they already do.
ReplyDeleteZrbo what is your source of information here?
My 'source' is typing in 'delay of game penalty' into google.
ReplyDeleteLE: The reason you wouldn't have a delay of game penalty in your example is because you failed to notice the opening clause of 'when the bases are unoccupied'. I thought you went to grad school? :)
There was an example of the penalty in the MLB I found yesterday, but the site seems to be down now. Anyways, looks like it is indeed a rule in baseball, they just never really enforce it much.